The Green Leather Jacket
by iheartBL
Summary: They were professionals, barely each other's friends, but one simple and oh so normal gift later, and they were more. What if Oliver was the one who gave Chloe that green leather jacket? Post "Hex"


A/N: Okay, so this is such a weird idea, but an interviewer asked Kelly Souders if the green leather jacket Chloe wore was for Ollie, and she said yes :D So I thought: What if that jacket was given to her by Ollie as possibly a b-day present? After all, it didn't show up till after "Hex".

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even that green leather jacket, which I have been trying to find in a store near me like crazy.

* * *

The Green Leather Jacket 

_What if Oliver was the one who gave Chloe that green leather jacket? _

She placed the blue-tooth devices back into the box before taking a seat on the couch. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she let out a breath, her eyes glossing over the room. Watchtower was officially online…Watchtower…that codename Oliver had given her a few years ago…it was official now. The entire concept of Watchtower, hidden behind a wall of the Isis Foundation, it was the one thing she looked forward to, the one thing that elated her.

Her eyes fell to the digital clock, its neon green numbers piercing, taunting her with the sleep she realized she needed. It was close to 3 AM, and she could feel the heaviness of her eyelids. The Talon Apartment all the way back in Smallville…it wasn't as if she had anyone to go home to. Lois was still away, and Jimmy…She told him not to give up on her, on them…Maybe it was a lost cause. She had just buried herself in another secret, one she could never explain to him, not anytime soon anyhow. Suddenly, the couch was beginning to look extra comfortable. She could always crash here, it wasn't as if she hadn't done it before, albeit unintentionally.

That mere thought made her realize how alone she was, and the air filled in this large space became rather suffocating. Oliver was gone for the time being. He'd run off to get her a well deserved coffee break. Now, however, she wasn't sure if she wanted the caffeine kick. Sleep appeared to be much more pleasing. It would give her the chance to escape. Watchtower had been a good distraction, but she wanted the escape from her reality, her not so normal life.

She accepted her abnormal life though. The reporter life that was now Lois's, she didn't want it anymore. She was meant for more…Watchtower…that was where she belonged. She embraced that concept in full, it was just that when she was alone, these little voices crept into her head and reminded her of how alone she was. Sleep was her friend. She wanted so badly to succumb to slumber, but when she closed her eyes, those little voices grew louder. Great, now she was probably insane, or would turn into an insomniac, if she already wasn't one.

So that loneliness clawed at her, it loomed above her, and all around her. Why was it taking Oliver so damn long to retrieve a couple cups of coffee? Now she needed the caffeine, she wanted it. If she was awake enough, then she could organize all of Isis's files and give the database a necessary boost, if Oliver hadn't already done so. Her eyes blinked and she clutched her knee as the exhaustion took over. The analog clock tacked to wall ticked and tocked, the rhythm deafening. She didn't want her thoughts to drift to Jimmy, but they kept going to him, and she stupidly kept replaying the scene where she went to visit him while stuck in Lois's body, analyzing every detail…analyzing and over analyzing…

'Don't give up on us, please…'

She felt the tears pound behind her eyes, threatening to sweep to the surface. She bit her lip. She needed a distraction…Her eyes stung with lack of sleep and the soon to come tears, but for the time being, she was able to blink them away. She caught the box resting upon the table. When had that gotten there?

Chloe stood up and walked towards the large table, her heels long since abandoned. Her curiosity had once more gotten the better of her, but hopefully, this time, it didn't land her in a compromising position. It was a silver box, not even wrapped, but she guessed it didn't really need it. Lifting the card, she read over the words. It took her longer than necessary because a few yawns had escaped, the words blurring, but she managed in the end.

_Happy Birthday to the girl who truly deserves it. _

A smile crawled onto her lips. Judging by the words, she knew who this was from. He had uttered similar words to her at her party, leaving right before she got a dose of the Zatanna dust. Oliver. She didn't even notice he'd arrived at the party without a gift. She didn't really care.

She lifted the lid off the box and pulled away the paper, her eyes absorbing in the sight of green leather. At first, she thought it was a joke on Oliver's part, some sick joke to try and make her laugh. It wasn't going to work. But when she lifted it from its current habitat, she found it wasn't Oliver's Green Arrow suit at all, it was a jacket, a green leather jacket. Green and leather, and for her, it was kind of ironic. Still, she smiled. He really knew how to make her feel better. He really knew how to restore an ounce of happiness even though he wasn't here. Plus, the jacket was gorgeous. The leather was soft, and the green was just the perfect shade, not to dark, and not to light.

"I was wondering when you'd notice that, Sidekick."

Startled, her head spun in Oliver's direction, and she nearly dropped the jacket. "Oliver," she breathed, "you…"

"Scared you, sorry," he finished for her, "but you've got to get used to it soon or later."

He had a point. She took one of the cups of coffee he held towards her with a tiny smile. Part of her wanted to laugh. The gift was ironic. Green and leather like Green Arrow's suit. It was like she was his personal cheerleader now, a walking and breathing human mascot. So the part of her that wanted to laugh won out. She giggled.

Oliver's eyes slightly widened, and therefore Chloe held the jacket towards him. He didn't find this scenario funny in the least. He thought she'd love it. He'd always liked her in green, it suited her, and it enticed the green of her eyes. It wasn't his fault she just happened to look great in his favorite color, and it didn't help that she wore it often.

"Sorry," she snorted, "…I love it…I really do." And just to prove her point, she slipped it on. It fit perfectly of course. She turned to face him, her laughter ceased. He was just staring at her, and in turn, she just stared at him. There was a stillness in the air, but Chloe didn't dare dwell on what he might have been thinking.

Instead, her thoughts drifted back to Jimmy. How was it that this friend of hers could get her so well, but the guy who had asked her to be his wife…just couldn't? Sure she had played her part in their crumpled relationship. She hadn't been honest with him. She had let Davis make her believe that Jimmy was hallucinating, which he wasn't, but she accepted her mistake, she embraced it. And even though she and Oliver's friendship had been hanging by thread, he'd still chosen to show up at her birthday party. He tried to make her feel better. Jimmy hadn't done any of those things. She didn't want to give up on him. She didn't want him to give on her. It was that simple. It was so simple that the scenario was…_normal_. Chloe sighed, chewing at her lip.

She hadn't realized the glassy state of her eyes until Oliver asked if she was okay. Did she look okay? Chloe made the mistake of looking at him. The way his face was etched with worry, the way it was flashing her sympathy…She couldn't take it. She had enough I-feel-sorry-for-you's from both Lois and Clark, and she didn't need anymore. So she let her locked up tears escape. She let all her emotions pour out, which probably wasn't the best, considering she didn't want pity, but rational thinking was beyond her at this point.

"Chloe…" he uttered in alarm. He hadn't been prepared for this type of reaction at all. Watchtower had been a good distraction, but that's all it was. When she closed up the blue-tooth devices and shut down the computers, her real life would always be there to slap her in the face…her real mess of a life…

She stepped away from him slightly, praying he didn't utter those eight letters of apology she was beginning to loathe so much. And he didn't. He just stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. He peeled her fingers from around her cup of coffee, setting it on the table before pulling her towards him, and she complied without protest. She took comfort in his warm embrace, soothed herself with the hint of leather lingering off him. His scent had become so familiar that it was…_normal_…just like her chaos of a life. And best of all, he didn't say anything. He let her cry. He let her have her moment of vulnerability, an aspect that had originally scared her because he was Oliver and she was Chloe. They were professionals, barely each other's friends, and that rarely blurred into something else, but one simple and oh so normal gift later, and they were more.

* * *

A/N: Not much dialogue in this one, but I don't think it was really needed. Such a shame how everything went down in season eight after "Hex" because it was such an awesome episode. :( Oh well, at least season 9 rocked, and hopefully season 10 will be even better for Chlollie! So…thoughts/reviews?


End file.
